Candidate for
Board Member; Huntington Beach City School District

I believe in adequate compensation and continuous staff development for our teachers. A school district exists to educate our children. Doesn't it make sense that those who are tasked with the job of education should be the best we can get? What better way to acquire and keep those excellent teachers than by offering competitive salaries with adequate cost of living raises and by providing regular staff development opportunities to keep our teachers "fresh," which will in turn keep students engaged.

I believe in involving the community-at-large. Although many communication avenues exist between schools and parents, there is a lack of communication with and participation by the community at large. Why has it been so difficult in the past to secure bonds to update our schools? Because the majority of voters in our district do not have children attending our public schools and fail to see the benefit of investing in their neighborhood school sites. These are important citizens who should be involved members of our school community. Let's help them feel like the stakeholders they are.

I believe in a safe school campus environment. Every school should be a safe and secure area for our children, their teachers, principals, room aides, office personnel, custodians, etc. All avenues of safety should be addressed by maintaining the physical buildings and grounds, having lock-down and disaster response training, and by having a nurse on every campus for more than just a couple of hours a week.